A Break in the Madness
by RosesRedandWilting
Summary: It’s snowing for the first time in the entity’s realm, something Hillbilly has never experienced before.


It was too good to be true, yet here it was.

Snow, white and pure, flickering in the sun, drifting down and dancing in the wind before settling on the endless pools of blinding white that coated the once dirt ground.

Of course, she wasn't foolish. It wasn't the sun, nor was it the snow.

It was simply another mindgame from the entity, yet she couldn't complain.

Once, a long time ago, she could vaguely remember seeing the snow.

Her parents had taken her on vacation once, up to South Dakota.

It had been a magical time for her, and yet now- The memory was shattered.

Time had passed in this realm for far too long for her to remember.

"Is it?..." Dwight's voice rang out from beside her, and she turned.

"Yes," she said, a trace of confusion in her voice. "It's snowing."

He shivered, dressed poorly in a white business shirt and slacks,

yet turned to her with a small smile.

"I've never been happier to be cold.""Oh, you can borrow my jacket," Claudette said."No, it's fine." Dwight said. "It's...nice actually. To feel something."

They looked around slowly, scanning for any sign of a kiler.

There was no heartbeat or movement.

"We should find whoever else is with us," Claudette said.

"Right," Dwight said, his attention drawn back into reality.

They found David in a large building, already halfway done with the generator.

Dwight cast a nervous look around. "I still haven't seen the killer.

Do you know who else is here?" David gave them a nonchalant look.

"No idea. I just want to escape. It's bloody cold."

"Well, that's what happens when you don't wear a shirt…" Claudette muttered.

"Don't nag me," he said."You could help." Dwight knelt down and started fooling with wires.

Still, it was eating at Claudette.

"I'm going to go find who we're up against," she said, "and help the other survivor."

"Don't make me go save you," David warned grumpily.

Claudette sighed, shrugging her coat off.

David tensed as she draped it over his shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing?""There," she said firmly. "Put a shirt on next time.""Women," David growled, but he had a pleased smile as he returned to the gen.

She crept through the doorway and out into the snow, scanning the horizon.

Still, there was nothing. Claudette kept to the wall and followed the brick wall around the map, stopping only when she saw another survivor on a generator out in the open.

It was the riskiest generator there was, perched on top of a small hill that outlooked the grounds.

Claudette cautiously climbed up next to them.

It was Kate, bundled up in a coat and beanie.

"Hello," she said, leaning down to help her with the generator while they talked.

"You look warm."

"I am!" Kate said happily, the familiar cheerful tone soothing Claudette's nerves ever so slightly.

"I got really lucky wearing this today. I found it in a chest last trial.""That's nice," Claudette said. "Have you seen who the killer is?" "No," Kate said. "I haven't even heard him. Maybe it's the Wraith again, you know how he is."The Wraith only killed rarely in trials, simply to please the entity enough that he wasn't erased from existence. He was content to mearly watch the birds and sometimes help them find the hatch if he should chance upon it first.

"That's so strange," Claudette wondered. David had already finished two generators by now,

and Dwight was no doubt helping speed it along.

Kate and her were almost finished as well.

"I'm going to go find the killer," Claudette said, standing up.

Kate cast her a hesitant look. "Why? We should just take advantage of this.""I-" Claudette started, and then stopped.

"I"m not sure why, but it's annoying me. I want to know what happened.""Alright…" Kate said. "Stay safe." "I will," Claudette said, walking down the small hill and back into the snow.

Kate finished the third generator while Claudette once again kept to the wall, creeping through the small world. She stopped. There, several feet away from her.

It was a chainsaw, laying in the snow. After scanning the area, she hesitantly picked it up, turning it over. It was familiar. Memories, all bad, washed over her.

This had been used to hurt her multiple times.

It belonged to...who was it again? Not the one with the morbid mask, but…

"Hillbilly?" Claudette whispered.

She heard a soft sob and wiped around, holding the chainsaw to her rapidly beating heart.

Curled up in the corner a few yards away from her, he sat on the ground, his knees pulled up to his chest. He must have been running insidious. The man, if you could call him that, hadn't seemed to notice her. His head was pressed against his knees.

Was he crying? No...that couldn't be right. Yet, it was undeniable.

Claudette was frozen in fear, but she had his weapon now.

What was there to be afraid of?

"Um…" She muttered, taking a step back.

He looked up at her, his face unmistakably red. So, he had been crying.

"Are-" Claudette started. "Are you okay?"

She wasn't even sure he spoke or understood English.

The man shook his head rapidly and buried his face back on his knees.

This was the time for her to run. Already, Kate had finished a second generator,

and there was only one left to go.

Still, seeing him like this, it felt impossible for her to just leave him here.

"Is the-" She stepped closer cautiously, Billy looking up again through tearful eyes.

"Is the snow scaring you?"

He turned his head slightly to the right.

"S...snow?" Billy repeated back. His voice was more human than she would have expected, tinged with a southern accent. It was clear he had not spoken often.

"Yes," Claudette said softly. "The...stuff falling from the sky."

She pointed up slightly, still clinging to the weapon.

"Have you seen this before?"The killer shook his head again, still frightened but puzzled.

"It's just water," Claudette said softly. "It's...like firm rain. It can't hurt you.""Snow…" Hillbilly repeated. He timidly held out a hand.

A snowflake drifted into it, and he cautiously held it up to his face.

It had already melted into water.

The last generator popped and he looked towards it.

The exit gates were now powered. "Oh…" he muttered.

"If you stick out your tongue, you can catch some," Claudette said, hoping to buy her teammates time to open the exit. She stuck out her tongue to demonstrate.

"See?" He looked hesitant, yet copied her. A look of delight crossed over him.

"Water." Billy said confidently. "Yes," Claudette said, a small smile crossing her lips.

"It's water." He stood up and she backed up, the insidious falling off of him.

The sound of a loud heartbeat washed through the air. He held out his hand toward her.

"Saw," Bily said softly, blushing. He was embarrassed? The knowledge that killers could feel an emotion like that… "No." Claudette said. "Not...not until I get to the gate."He seemed to consider this for a moment.

She heard the gate open near them.

He followed her slowly as she walked to the exit, watching Dwight as he waved at her. The mans eyes widened as they saw what she was holding, and who was following her.

"It's okay, Dwight!" Claudette called.

He looked terrified, yet he waited for her and the Hillbilly at the gate.

"David and Kate already escaped," he said. "I was waiting for you, but…"He looked from her to the killer.

"I'll explain at the campfire," Claudette said.

She set the chainsaw down at the gate entrance.

Dwight watched as Hillbilly picked it up, inspected it, and put it under his arm.

Claudette smiled sheepishly. "Goodbye, Billy."She knew he wouldn't remember this act of kindness. The entity was not kind with their memories. Once, she had managed to befriend the Trapper, yet the next trial he had an extra hook in his arm and had focused on tunneling her. She had died before the first generator was down.

Still, there was that hope. It was pointless, pitiful, prolonged the inevitable.

Yet, watching the killer, his childish smile as he waved, it grew in her.

That warm, spreading feeling.

She took Dwight's hand in hers, and he looked at her with surprise.

"We're going to make it." Claudette said softly.

He paused, before squeezing her hand back.

"Sure," he said confidently. "Of course we will."


End file.
